Luminous sign



I '(No Model.)

- W. HOSKINS.

- LUMINOUS SIGN.

No. 529,073. Patented No v. '13, 1894.

. 76km? 6 72 9 Q 9) Jag J UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM IIOSKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LUMINOUS SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,073, dated November 13', 1894.

' Application filed May 1,1894. Serial r... 509,710. (No model.)

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Hosxms, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Obi: cago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Luminous Signs, of which the following is a specification. My object'is to provide a sign or display device of novel and improved construction, comprising a plate of transparent or pellucid material provided with light reflecting characters, and having illuminating means disposed at one or more of its edges to cast rays of light edgewise through the plate against the light reflecting characters or representations, and cause the latter to stand out prominently or luminou-sly.

In carrying out myinvention I preferto em ploy a plate of transparent or pellucid glass, having formed or imposed thereon the characters or representation to be prominently displayed, and an opaque frameabout the glassplate having one or more chambers, each open to the adjacent edge only of the plate, and containing an illuminator as, for example, an incandescent electric lamp, whereby the illuminator is shielded against shedding its rays elsewhere on the plate than to the edges thereof, and through which the rays are accordingly projected between the surfaces of the glass against the reflectingcharactors. The character to be displayed may.

be any representation, as a name, picture,

- ornamental design, or the like, and may be formed of opaque or translucent material i.m-, posed upon the surface of the glass-plate, or

- may be cut into or formed upon one or both of its 'surfaces,'or be between the surfaces; and the rays fromrthe' illuminator passing edgewise through the plate .will by reflection,

refraction or absorption cause the characters or representations to stand out prominently, or become visible by'contrast.

In the drawings-Figure 1 shows a sign made in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2, acentral longitudinal section of the same.

A is a glass plate provided upon its rear surface with the word Cosmos, the letters :1: thereof being cut into the glass, as by the sand-blast process. Around the plate A is a frame B, which may be hollow throughout,

- cations.

.to afiorda continuous chamber t, or chambers t maybe provided therein at desired lorecess 3 around the inner side of the frame,

ings t at the recess 5. The frame is formed of wood, or other opaque material, and the chambers t should be su bs'tantially light-tight at allsides except at the openings at, which latter are closed by the adjacent edges of the glass-plate. In the chambers t I provide illur minators O, which may be, and preferably are, incandescent electric lamps.

To obtain the most pronounced display of the characters w, the glass-plate A should be as clearand transparent as possible, with parallel smooth and polished surfaces, and polished edges; andthe frame at the strip r, shown, should so far overlap the edges of the glass-plate as to shieldthe lamps from the view, through the slits or openings t, of an observer standing in front of the device.

In practice the rays of light from the lamps O passthrough thejopenings t into the edges (1f the plate A and are presumably reflected at the inner surfaces of the strips r. The angles of incidence and reflection of the rays, as they pass through the glass, are suiiiciently The plate A fits at its edges into a obliqueto cause the rays to zig-zag between the opposite parallel surfacesof the glass with-,

plate itself will be invisible so far as the influence of the light from the lamps is concarried, and the-characters will become prominent. The plate will be visible, if colorless, in proportion only to the degree of light which it may reflect from outside sources. all light is excluded from the plate, except that from the lamp through its edge or edges, the characters will stand out especially bright and prominent. They will appear to be unsup;-

Anychange in charported and the source of their illumination will be invisible.

If desired the plate A may be curved, and so long as the degree of curvature is confined 5 within proper limits, the rays from the lamps will be confined between its surfaces.

As any change in density of the glass will become apparent through the change in angle of'the rays, the plate, to be invisible, should to be as free as" possible from specks, bubbles and flaws of every nature.

\ Either one or more lamps maybe employed,

and of course the degree of luminosity of the characters will be governed by the number I 5 and intensity of the rays of light they reflect.

A novel and striking eltect may be produced by having differently colored lamps disposed in chambers tabout the glass-plate, whereby the rays of ;light from the different lamps so will meet and blend at the characters, the primary colors being more pronounced toward the sides from whichthey are cast. If desired the plate may be colored and thus rendered pellucid, rather than. transparent, with the efz 5 feet that the plate'willappearluminous without exposing the source of its illumination.-

I f desired the plate shown in the drawings may be roughened at all parts except at the word Cosmos, the letters a: beingleft clear. o"lhe eftect would be a luminous plate and transparent letters which would appear only by contrast This and other modification, both in the character of the display, and construction of details,-will be within the spirit 5 of my invention as defined by the claims.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. A luminous sign, comprising, in combination, a character displaying plate of transparent or pellucid material and an illuminator at the edge of the'platq mounted to cast its light laterally through the plate by way of the edge thereof, thus obtaining subplate provided with illuminator chambers thereof, thus obtaining substantially the ct'- fect of total reflection to produce illumina' 5 5 tion of the said representation substantially as described.

3. A luminous sign comprising, in combination, a plate of transparent or pellucid material having smooth surfaees, a character mp resentation in the surface of the plate and a shielded illuminator in the edge of the plate mounted to cast its light laterally through. the plate by way of the edge thereof, thus obtaining substantially the effect of total re flection to produce illumination of the said representation substantially as described.

4. A luminous sign, comprising, in combination, a display plate of transparent or pellucid material provided with the representation to be displayed, a chamber having an opening at the edge of the plate, and an illuminator mounted in said chamber to cast its light laterally through the plate by, way of the edge thereof, thus obtaining substantially theefiectof total-reflection to produce illumination of the said representation substantially asv described.

5. A luminous sign, comprising, in combi nation, a displayplate, of transparent or pellucid material provided with the representa tion to be displayed, a frame for the plate provided with a. chamber opening to the adjacent edge of the plate, and an illnminator mounted in the chamber to cast its light latorally through the plate by way of the edge thereof, thus obtaining substantially the effect of total reflection to produce illumination of the said representation substantially as described.

6. A luminous sign, comprising, in combination, a display plate of transparent or pellucid material, provided with the representation'to be displayed, a frame about the each open only to. the. adjacent edge.ofthe plate, and an, illuminator int-each chamber mounted to. cast its light laterallythrough' the plateby way of the edge thereof, thus obtaining substantially the efliect of total reflection to produce illumination of the said representation substantially as described. 4 WILLIAM HOSKINS.

In presence ot- I M. J. Fnos'r, I

W. U. WILLIAMS. 

